If China wants to remain part of the mainstream international community it must allow a rigorous, independent and “full-throated” global investigation into the “origins of the coronavirus catastrophe” according to former foreign minister Alexander Downer. China has been criticised for its conduct when the coronavirus crisis was at its nascent stage. Authorities in China may have been aware of the novel pathogen as early as October, although Beijing did not concede how severe its outbreak was until late January and was slow to close its borders, ensuring COVID-19 spread around the globe. The World Health Organisation has also been criticised by leaders from across the globe after it recently endorsed China’s decision to re-open its “notorious” wet markets. That is despite strong evidence wet markets, which is where humans and exotic and rare animals are in very close contact, are vectors for serious communicable diseases. COVID-19 is thought to originate from a seafood wet market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, while the deadly SARS outbreak was traced back to a wildlife trade market in Guangdong province in 2003. Mr Downer said China “owes to the world an independent investigation into how this happened.” “They may be resistant, they may want to do the investigation on their own, but this has had a huge consequence for the world,” he said. “China owes it to the world for there to be a strictly independent investigation. “It would take a lot of explaining for them to come out and say to the rest of the world; we are going to ignore your concerns.”

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